NASA Flight Qualification Testing Standards
Compiled by J.D. "Jaap" Uithof, HTML by Chuck Maddox
on 11:00 GMT 28 June 2002,
Last Revised: 11:00 GMT 28 June 2002.
Certain Rights Reserved.

To be flight-quelified by NASA for all manned missions the Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph successfully passed 11 different tests numerious times...

1 High Temperature

48 hours at a temperature of 160° F (71°C) followed by 30 minutes at 200F (93C). This under a pressure of 5.5 psia (0.35 atm) and relative humidity not exceeding 15%

2. Low temperature

Four hours at a temperature of 0F (-18C)

3. Temperature pressure

Chamber pressure maximun of 1.47 x 10exp-5 psia (10exp-6 atm) with temperature raised to 160F (71C). The temperature shall then be lowered to 0°F (-18C) in 45 minutes and raised again to 160F in 45 minutes. Fifteem more such cycles shall be completed.

4. Relative humidity

A total time of 240 hours at tempeartures varying between 68F and 160F (20C and 71C) in a relative humidity of at least 95%. The steam used must have a pH value between 6.5 and 7.5

5. Oxygen atmosphere

The test item shall be placed in an atmosphere of 100% oxygen at a pressure of 5.5 psia (0.35atm) for 48 hours. Performance outside of specification tolerance, visible burning, creation of toxic gases, obnoxious odours or deterioration of seals and lubricants shall constitute a failure to pass this test. The ambient temperature shall be maintained at 160°F (71°C)

6. Shock

Six shocks of 40g's each 11 miliseconds in duration, in six different directions.

7. Acceleration

The equipment shall be accelerated linearly from 1g to 7.25 g within 333 seconds, along an axis parallel to the longitudinal spacecraft axis.

8. Decompression

Ninety minutes in a vacuum of 1.47 x 10E-5 psia (10 E-6 atm) at a temperature of 160F (71C) and 30 minutes at a 200F (93C)

9. High Pressure

The equipment to be subjected to a pressure of 23.5 psia (1.6 atm) for a minimum period of one hour.

10. Vibration

Three cycles of 30 minutes (lateral, horizontal, vertical, the frequency varying from 5 to 2000 cps and back to 5 cps in 15 minutes. Average acceleration per impuls must be at least 8.8g.

11. Acoustic noise

130 dB over a frequency range from 40 to 10000 HZ, duration 30 minutes.